AMERICAN CATHOLICISM Winnifred Sullivan email: sullivanw@wlu.edu Winter 1998; 15 students General Information This course considers the history and experience of the Roman Catholic church in America, from the first French and Spanish missionaries, through the rise of the largely Irish and German immigrant church in the 19th century, to the coming of age of the American Catholic community and its participation in and response to Vatican II. Attention is given to the theology, ritual forms and cultural style of Catholic religious practice and to the history of the Catholic community and its participation in the public life of the larger American community. The overarching questions for this course will be: What makes American Catholicism Catholic? What makes it American? and What do we learn about religion from studying American Catholicism? Course Requirements Preparation for class, quizzes and participation in class discussion. Each student will be asked to prepare a short (2-3 pages) reflection paper on the readings each week (except the first and last week) in response to an assigned question.(50% of grade). Midterm (25% of grade) and final (25% of grade). All assignments, including preparation for class, are expected to be timely, unless prior approval is given. Lateness will be penalized. Required texts (all in paper) Jay P. Dolan, The American Catholic Experience Richard McBrien, Inside Catholicism Thomas Merton, Seven Story Mountain Brian Moore, Black Robe Robert Orsi, The Madonna of 115th Street Packet of readings (available from Karen Lyle) SCHEDULE OF LECTURES AND ASSIGNMENTS
wk.1 1/6 Introductory lecture: The Late Medieval European Church Colonial Catholicism 1/8 Spanish Missions Assignment: read Las Casas, In Defense of the Indians In Class: Lecture/discussion on early Spanish missions wk.2 1/13 Spanish Missions cont. Assignment: read Junipero Serra, Diary Dolan, pp. 15-30 In Class: Lecture/discussion on Southwest missions 1/15 French Missions Assignment: read Moore, Black Robe Dolan, pp. 31-68 Lalemant, "How Father Jogues was Taken..." In class: Lecture/discussion on French missions wk. 3 1/20 English Catholics in the New World Assignment: read John Carroll selections Dolan, pp. 69-97 In Class: Lecture/discussion on Maryland Catholics 1/22 Catholics in the new republic Assignment: read Dolan, pp. 101-124 In Class: Quiz on colonial Catholicism The Immigrant Church
wk. 4 1/27 NB: this class will be held in the evening Who were the Immigrants? Assignment: read Dolan, pp. 127-157 In Class: Lecture/discussion on Immigrant Catholicism 1/29 The parish and the neighborhood Assignment: read Dolan, pp. 158-220 In Class: Lecture/discussion on Immigrant Catholicism cont. wk. 5 2/3 Devotional Catholicism Assignment: read Taves, The Household of Faith (in packet) In Class: Lecture/discussion on devotional Catholicism 2/5 Black Catholics (NOTE: this will be an evening class) Assignment: read Davis, History of Black Catholics, chs. 3-6 Afro-American and Catholic In Class: lecture by Prof. Delaney wk. 6 2/10 Anti-Catholicism and Nativism Assignment: read nativism and anti-catholicism selections (in course packet) In Class: Lecture by Dr.Stephanie Wilkinson
2/12 MIDTERM WASHINGTON HOLIDAY wk. 7 2/24 Conversion Assignment:read Brownson selections In Class: discussion of conversion 2/25 Evening lecture by Professor Scott Appleby 2/26 Americanism and Modernism Assignment: read Appleby and Sullivan selections In Class: Visit by Prof. Appleby Coming of Age wk.8 3/2 Italian Catholics Assignment: read Orsi, The Madonna of 115th St. In Class: Discussion of Orsi 3/4 Social Gospel Assignment: read Dolan, pp. 321-348 In Class: view and discuss The Radio Priest wk. 9
3/9 Schools Assignment: read Dolan, pp. 262-293, 384-420 Everson v. Bd. of Education Reflection paper due In Class: Discussion of Everson 3/11 Triumphal Catholicism Assignment: read Morris selection In Class: view The Bells of St. Mary s wk. 10 3/16 Thomas Merton Assignment: read Merton, Seven Story Mountain In Class: View film on Merton/discussion of Merton Vatican II and Aftermath 3/18 Religious Freedom Assignment: read Dignitatis Humanae Murray, We Hold These Truths selections In Class: Lecture/discussion on Dignitatis Humanae wk. 11 3/23 American Catholicism and Vatican II Assignment: read Dolan pp. 423-454 Gaudium et Spes In Class: Lecture/discussion on Vatican II
3/25 Vatican II and religious orders Assignment: reading to be assigned In Class: view and discuss Breaking Silence wk. 12 3/30 Indigenization and syncretism Assignment: reading to be announced In-Class: Discussion of definition of Catholicism 4/2 American Catholicism today Assignment: reading to be announced In class:to be announced